Dear John,

Happy Friday!

If you have watched the news recently, you may have seen reports concerning the federal bribery and corruption charges being brought against New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. These reports have been particularly disturbing to me. Public officials should be held to the highest ethical and legal standards – and many of these charges allege deeply concerning behavior.  
 
Back in 2016, the Supreme Court released a decision that interpreted the definition of “official acts” made by public officials to be extremely narrow. That definition has made prosecution of public officials under federal bribery law difficult.

This week, I introduced a bipartisan bill – the Gifts for Officials, Legislators and Delegates (GOLD) Standard Act – to strengthen federal bribery law. The GOLD Standard Act would expand the definition of “official act” to include any approval, disapproval, recommendation, rendering of advice or investigation on any question and make these actions prosecutable under federal bribery law.

Expanding the definition of “official act” will ensure that public officials who abuse their office are held accountable for their actions – and aren’t able to skirt around law due to a narrow legal definition. I’ll be working closely with my colleagues Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) Eric Sorenson (D-IL) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) to get this bill passed.

Here's what else I was up to this week:

Connecting with Minnesota law enforcement
Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day they show up to protect our communities.

On Wednesday, I joined the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) to hear directly from rank-and-file officers about what they need to do their jobs safely and effectively and how I can best support them.

Pushing for resources to halt fentanyl from entering the United States
We have high-tech scanners that can detect fentanyl before it crosses our southern border – but they’re sitting unused because Congress hasn’t allocated the funds to install them.

I wrote to House leadership this week to emphasize that withholding this funding isn’t acceptable. We must allocate the funds needed to distribute and use these scanners – and do it quickly.

Saying thank you to members of Minnesota’s National Guard
On Wednesday, I spoke with members of the Minnesota National Guard to thank them for their service and discuss how we can bolster recruitment efforts at home and across the country.

Behind the scenes with Rep. Craig:

Well, spring in DC means the start of cherry blossom season. We’ll show you the blooms next week but the tulips here are pretty good too! Check out the bulbs in front of our office building! 

Congress is back in session next week – but I look forward to spending the weekend in Minnesota! I hope you have a great one.

Until next time,
 

Angie Craig

Member of Congress